Listed record inventories
Selected holdings and indexes for Jefferson County, checked against the repository descriptions linked below. Date spans may contain gaps; an index is not a complete set of original records.
Other records
- Bride Index, 1811-1873 · print/index, Indiana State Library1811-1873
- Civil Order Books · microfilm, Indiana State Library1812-1818
- License Records · microfilm, Indiana State Library1816-1837
- Treasurer’s Books · microfilm, Indiana State Library1812
- Register of Negroes · microfilm, Indiana State Library1853-1860
- Apprentice Record · microfilm, Indiana State Library1847-1882
Court records
Deeds and land
- Deed Records · microfilm, Indiana State Library1811-1830
- Deed Record · microfilm, Indiana State Library1812–1891 · separate segments; see catalog for gaps
- General Index to Deeds, Grantor · microfilm, Indiana State Library1812-1843; 1835-1852; 1852-1864; 1864-1876; 1876-1886; 1812-1848; 1843-1868; 1871-1886
- General Index to Deeds, Grantee · microfilm, Indiana State Library1812-1835; 1835-1852; 1852-1868; 1864-1876; 1876-1886; 1843-1852; 1852-1868, 1870-1880; 1880-1886
- Deed Indexes, Grantor/Grantee · microfilm, Indiana State Library1876-1891; 1891-1900
Marriages, births and deaths
- Marriage Record · microfilm, Indiana State Library1811-1840; 1840-1850; 1850-1858; 1858-1868; 1868-1878; 1878-1886; 1886-1894; 1894-1901; 1901-1905; 1882-1889, 1920-1922; 1917-1919
- Marriage Applications · microfilm, Indiana State Library1905-1907; 1907-1911; 1911-1916; 1916-1920; 1920-1923
- Marriage Affidavits · microfilm, Indiana State Library1892-1906
- Birth Records · microfilm, Indiana State Library1882-1907; 1896-1904, 1906-1907
- Delayed Birth Records · microfilm, Indiana State LibraryPre-1941
Naturalization records
- Naturalization Records · microfilm, Indiana State Library1840-1850; 1853-1904
Wills and estates
- Probate Records · microfilm, Indiana State Library1811-1832
- Probate Order Book · microfilm, Indiana State Library1811–1918 · separate segments; see catalog for gaps
- Complete Probate Record · microfilm, Indiana State Library1837-1843; 1843-1848; 1848-1854; 1854-1855
- Probate Complete Order Book · microfilm, Indiana State Library1854-1858; 1857-1859; 1859-1864; 1864-1869; 1869-1876; 1876-1880
- Probate General Index · microfilm, Indiana State Library1829-1873; 1853-1873; 1859-1874; 1861-1910; 1911-1940
- Will Records · microfilm, Indiana State Library1811-1822, 1852-1891; 1811-1832; 1853-1872; 1872-1884; 1884-1900; 1900-1916; 1916-1924
County government
- Commissioners Records · microfilm, Indiana State Library1817-1822; 1847-1854
Census records
Tax records
See the repository's descriptions and search options
Repository access note: Selected State Library print indexes, abstracts and microfilm catalog series. Multiple reels of the same title are grouped together; broad spans may contain gaps. Use the source linked on each entry for individual volumes, reel numbers and availability. This is not a complete courthouse inventory or a promise of online images. Confirm access and restrictions with the library; request certified records from their original custodian.
Sources: the catalogs and repository descriptions linked on the entries above. Selected inventories do not establish complete coverage of every record type or online access to original documents. Read the repository access note for source dates and limitations.
Where to find the records
- Find Jefferson County's official website
We haven't checked this county's website yet, so this opens a web search. Look for an address ending in .gov, then find the county recorder and the clerk of the circuit court.
- The county recorder
Deeds, mortgages and other land records.
- The clerk of the circuit court
Marriage licenses, probate (wills and estates), divorces and court cases.
- The Indiana Archives
In Indianapolis: state records and county records on microfilm, and indexes in its online Digital Archives.
- Indiana Archives and Records Administrationfree
The state archives in Indianapolis, with county records, military records and indexes in the Indiana Digital Archives.
- FamilySearch Catalogfree
Search by place for "Indiana, Jefferson" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.
Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.
Boundaries and parent counties
Formed from: Clark County, Dearborn County
Check the parent counties for earlier records: Clark County, Dearborn County
Later formed partly from Jefferson County: Jackson County, Jennings County, Ripley County, Scott County, Switzerland County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1811, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.
Research tip
Indiana counties recorded births from 1882 and deaths from 1882, before statewide registration began (deaths 1900, births 1907). Ask the county health department for the early county registers.